Ray Laconico

More about Ray Laconico

When Ray Laconico was about 10 years old, he watched the movie “First Blood.” It was that movie that inspired Ray’s fascination with knives.

Before making knives, Ray worked in a law firm in Los Angeles. Being a Document Clerk was the furthest thing from what he wanted to be doing; what he yearned for was crafting knives with his own two hands. In the mid 1990’s, Ray Laconico walked into Bob Engnath’s store called “Blades n Stuff,” located in Glendale, CA. Seeing all the “do it yourself” knife kits as well as the finished handmade knives sparked his passion for knife making. It was then, that Ray made the decision to learn how to make his own knives, with his own hands.

Now, it has been about 15 years since Ray Laconico began making his own custom knives. For the first 5 years, he was simply involved in creating knives as a hobby. He then picked it up as a full-time job for the 10 years that followed. His workshop is located in his garage in Visalia, CA.

Starting off on his own, Ray Laconico had to teach himself how to make knives. He began with fixed blades and stuck to it for many years. Then he met Mike Vagnino, and had the privilege of learning how to make liner locking folding knives from him. Since learning the skills, it has become Ray’s specialty to build folding knives, mainly flippers. His favorite style of knife to make, as of now, is the Bowie Knife with a guard and hidden tang because it’s a challenge to make and each one made is different.  If you’re looking for a simple, functional, and clean custom knife, Ray Laconico is your maker.